An Odd Town in Middle of Nowhere Texas
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ค. 2024
- A Town in Middle of Nowhere - Marfa TX Mysteries - Still in Texas we discover an unusual town in the middle of nowhere that is full of mystery & intrigue. Called Texas' creepiest abandoned town by Only in Your State, Marfa is one Texas town you won't forget! Find out why in this episode of SightseeingSally.
Video on Bombay Beach:
A Weird Town in California
• A Weird Town in Califo...
About me: I grew up in a small town the Midwest. Now I drive America's backroads exploring small towns, forgotten places, local history and more!
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#middleofnowhere #marfa #texas #backroads #ghosttown #smalltowns
In September of 1991, when I was living in Victorville, CA I hid in the back of a yellow Chevy pickup truck that was heading to Marfa, TX. The owner discovered me the next day hiding in the back and he had me help him drive the rest of the way to Marfa. He owned the Stardust Motel and I helped him run the place for a year before I moved to the next town over. Best move I ever made leaving California and starting a new life!
Wow, awesome 👍👍
@john damn brother! now That is a story with a happy ending. good for you both.
where the hell is Marfa?
fr native texan
Yeah sure, whatever you say pal. Dude I knew snuck on the space shuttle he’s living on the international space station as a chef and masseuse to this day.
My fiancee is buried in the marfa cemetery. She passed away 3 years ago, at the age of 42. I go by a few times a year and visit. Thank you for sharing your visit. We also have a lock on that fence 💔
Sorry you lost her.
My condolences I'm so sorry.....
I grew up in the van horn, marfa, ft davis, alpine area. Moved 1949 to van horn and graduated t SRSU 1968. Your video hits highlights of Marfa but you didn't have the time and background to drill down. I think you have to live it in that part of Texas to be able to appreciate the history of the area. Cicila Thompsons books (2) reveal the history of Presidio County from 1500/1949. I think only locals would be able to comprehend the time frame or historians that will drill down to be able to comprehend that time frame. I watched the filming of ,"The Giant ", I was 10 years old and have pics with Chill Wills and saw the famous cast. Your video was a good introduction to Marfa and will spark attention to area. Congratulations on your 📹 video success.
Have you been to Marfa lately to see what is living there?
Not in a couple of years but I have life time friends that keep me up to speed.
I am a Native Texan who has spent a lot of time around Marfa, and I never considered it to be a Ghost Town. I have seen the Marfa Lights and I don't know what causes them, but they are interesting. The Artist colony version of Marfa has done one thing, it has caused real estate prices to rise in Marfa.
It has also more than likely revived the local economy.It can bring either good or bad,which is a matter of perspective,but it can also bring life back to towns once thought dead.Even if there is local resentment,seeing them as “outsiders”,I believe their intentions are good for the most part.
Stay Out Californians!
Real estate has soared ... 1-2 bdrm 1 bath = $400,000+
The entire towns real estate prices have soared over 246% ... Most of the locals have had to move away.
full of hippies and overpriced housing.....in the boonies
I'm 7 minutes into the video, and I decided to start typing my comments. When I saw the water tower at the beginning, that's when it hit me. Marfa was famous for being a location from which people saw unexplained lights in the sky. I remember reading/hearing about them 20+ years ago. But I never heard of it referred to as a ghost town. Oh, and I love old signs too. Now, back to watching it.
I grew up in Alpine, right down the road. We used to go to the best location to watch the dancing lights. The had a set of stadium seats for comfort. LOL
The mystery lights used to be called the "ghost lights." That might be why Marfa got listed as a ghost town by mistake.
Maybe…
Once it gets real dark they start chasing you my brother got too close. And one of chasing stuck his top of his car. It was very scary!!!!
@@silverdutchover492 How many beers did you and your brother have? :-)
,I was 3 years old but my brothers were 17 and. 12 years old there cast in the movie Giant between 1950 1952
Shafter, Texas, is the legit ghost town, which is about 40 miles south of Marfa on HWY 67.
Marfa is a seasonal ghost town. Most of the locals were driven out by either selling their houses for 4x their actual property value or by exorbitant property taxes imposed by the new coming city council. There is a good book about this social art town phenomenon called “Bobos in Paradise”. Bobos meaning bourgeois bohemian. Donald Judd and Dan Flavin who moved there never wanted this to happen. They moved to Marfa to escape from the bullshit of the NYC art scene and just wanted an art commune/monastery for their own fellow artists and never really interacted with the Marfa community.
Typical how people come from different states and take something that's really awesome and change it into something that they want instead of leaving it the way it was. No true respect or love for the area of the people that grew up there.
I've seen the lights. They look like headlights about 30 miles away. But that doesn't explain the pre 1900s sightings.
My son's hunting at our ranch down by Terlingua right now. Now there's a ghost town.
Loved the video!!
I couldn't believe that Marty mentioned The Lost Dutchman's Mine!
My son wrote a book about it!
He has done amazing research on it: it's not where people think it is!!
He has people interested in checking it out.
Safe travels to you both, and
Merry Christmas!! ♥️♥️
Thanks Bonnie! That’s so amazing!!! Yes, we’re both fascinated by the story; we used to watch a show about some people who were searching for it.
Merry Christmas to you too ❤️❤️
As a truck driver in Texas, now retired, I often went through Marfa, the wife and I went there a few times to view the lights [we were never disappointed], but never knew that Good motels were there. We stayed in Alpine or went to Terlingua. We are now planning another trip and this time stay in Marfa. Thanks for the info.
I grew up going in and out of Marfa and the entire area, Alpine, Ft. Davis, Valentine, Marathon etc. since the 1950s with family living there since the early 1900s. None of these towns have never been a ghost towns.. The Paisano was there early on and I have published photos from the Mexican Revolution when the town was packed with thousands of refugees fleeing northern Mexico. I dont know where you go the "ghost town" concept but it never has been that.
I explain that in the video
It is a spook town now.
This is a really cool old town & I love the architecture of the hotel Paisano. I also never knew that about James Dean, the artist rendition of that movie looks really neat too. Thanks Sally & Marty for the video and have a Merry Christmas.
Rock Hudson and Elizabeth chills will James dean my 2 brothers were in the movie in the funeral movie scene my mom got to meet Rock Hudson
This is a cool old town I would never have heard it were it not for SSS and Marty! Thanks so much. I really look fwd to your vids!!
You’re very welcome, glad we could share a town you hadn’t seen before 😄
Very Merry Christmas to You and Yours 💖.
Thanks Maxine, Merry Christmas to you & yours also!
Hi Sally and Marty from the UP of Michigan. Glad I found your channel. It’s a lot of fun and it’s like traveling with friends. I’ll look forward to more. Thanks so much 😊
Hey Marty there's a great sign museum in Cincinnati .Catch it if you ever get there.Thanks Sally for your road trippen
Sounds great! Thanks Barbara 😄
Marfa, Texas was a cattle town for years that began to decline and barely hung on until World War II when the government built a military base on land belonging to "Happy" Godbold, a cattle man in the area. The government used the base during the war and afterwards it reverted back to Mister Godbold and according to his son, Carl the hangers and other buildings were used as part of an artist colony until some time after the 70's when they were removed. When last I heard Carl had been living in New Mexico and returned home after his father's passing to operate his family's ranch.
The current art scene is the second such influx of artists to make their homes in Marfa and use the town as a creative center.
"Giant" is a classic movie from an era when true stars occupied the silver screen...and I sensed you suspected that. It is long but does not drag on. Worth yours (and, Marty's) time to check out someday! I did not realize it was filmed in Marfa...that you for the background story! ;)
Giant was the first "woke" movie I saw when I was a kid. It was terrible and nothing like Texas at all.
Thankyou for sharing this video. I found it very interesting.
The Marfa Lights!! Don't get abducted!! 👽
Too late, I think Marty already was… at least, that would explain some things 😂
one of your very finest efforts ... a pleasure to watch ...
Aww thanks Joe! As you heard in the vid, Marfa was like my nemesis so this makes my day 😊
Ms. S.S.Sally ... Thank you and Mr. Marty for such an interesting view and well presented tour of Marfa ! It has been a highlight of this current Holiday Winter season of this end of 2022 for me ! I love your pace, your insight and your humorous quips ! I can now remove 'Marfa ' from my ' bucket list ' without a twinge of guilt !
There was an old gentleman (at least in 1973 he was old) named Ray Hegy, who was from Marfa. He used to make wooden propellers for homebuilt aircraft by hand.
Thanks for the video I have seen the movie Giant a long time ago. Keep up the good work from Wales uk 🇬🇧
You’re very welcome! I’d like to see it, maybe one day when I’ve got nothing to do for 3.5 hours 😉
Such an interesting vibe, Sally! Sort of like watching 1950's folk visiting Mars. Enjoyed every drop!
Giant is one of my all time favorite movies. Great story line and wonderful actors with a very young Dennis Hopper.
I traveled years ago from Presidio to Marfa and while driving, I noticed what looked like an old gray aerial dirigible in the sky. It looked to be in a fixed spot that never wavered in its position. When I stopped at the Border check station, that is when it was no longer visible in the sky. It still makes me wonder what it was. Also, my dad said that old folklore reasoning was that the ligtrs were the Witches coming out to dance.
Merry Christmas Sally & Marty!
Happy New Year too!
🤠👍
Thanks John!!! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you too 🥂🎄
Marta has never been a ghost town,don’t know how you got that. It’s been a ranching community for over 100 years. It was the site of the James Dean movie Giant. During WWll it has a “secret air base” ( where pilots started reporting and chasing the Marfa Lights thinking they were some kind of enemy aircraft.) The old runways are still visible. It was a great little town ,but now sadly Hollywood types have found it and are changing it into another HollyWEIRD town like they do until they are tired of it and move on..
Feliz Navidad…Sally and Mardy…
Feliz Navidad!
I spent my early years in Alpine, right down the road. We used to go to Marfa and watch the dancing lights in the distance. Amazing times.
Liked alpine a lot.
@@recreationalknittingpodcast My dad was a minister at the First Baptist Church. It is so dry there you need humidifiers. LOL
@@recreationalknittingpodcast I looked at your channel. What an amazing life. My sister creates things like you do. Cheers
@@87aggietim thanks. We’ve been on the road 3 years. Alpine is one of the places I really liked. Tell your sister to look me up on TH-cam. We makers love each other. ❤️
@@recreationalknittingpodcast My sister has designed a hospital gown that will accommodate an IV line. She is trying to get it produced and has a patent pending. You girls are so creative. 🏆
I'm 66 now. I remember a man named Ray Hagy. He had a red biplane, at the Rockford IL EAA fly in. Anyway he was from Marfa. It was a blast from the past to hear the name Marfa.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year guys. Stay well and safe.
Same to you, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 🎊
Another great tour of a small town. Glad there is something more to the town than the Marfa lights. That Prada store is way cool!
Oddly, Marfa has shown up on several lists of places to retire to in Texas. The drawbacks are healthcare and shopping - that is a pretty sparsely populated part of the country after all. The sell is the arts community. I can see the locals resenting the changes, but the arts are keeping the town alive by drawing tourists (and the famous lights as well of course).
There's a good Wiki about the Army installation there. It was originally designed to control the border and make sure the Mexican Revolution didn't spread into the US. During WWII it was a very active air base used to train pilots, crew and ground personnel. It was decommissioned and listed as excess shortly after WWII. Like many other small towns with bases, when the base closes the town starts to dry up.
Great video - clicking the subscribe button!
Merry Christmas Sally and Marty. Oh my, y'all was Lost!!!
Yep, we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque 😉
Ps Merry Christmas Mr. Breeze, nice to see you are still around
Here I thought Marty was pretty bubbly and happy. I think some of the first A-4 jets where there for a while. If you have not seen the weather it is expected 30 below and 50 mph wind gusts. Hope you guys have a Merry Christmas and stay safe and healthy.
Hahaha of course he is. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Great video! Well done & entertaining. Love the humor!
The actual site of the Giant set was on the Ryan Ranch, across the road and about a mile off the highway. If you zoom in just NW of the ranch headquarters on Google Earth, you can see a bunch of poles sticking up that supported the flats for the set. It is not accessible to the public.
I don't know how I missed this video but I did. Outstanding video. Thank you.
You know the upper Penisula of Michigan near Watersmeet has one of these weird light phenomena - seen only at night. The Paulding Lights
Yes, I’ve heard of them!
Interesting video thank you so much for sharing.
Old joke/ motel spelled backwards is " lett om " but you don't have to let om they will anyway.
hahaha yep that’s an oldie
Thank you for posting, you gave me a happy memory, my late Father retired from West Texas Utilities. Interesting and well made video, not often do I subscribe on one video.
First of all, Marfa is not a ghost town. I lived close by and worked in Marfa. Yes; it is known for the mysterious lights. They look like headlights in the distance, but there is no road in the area that the lights are seen.
I make an annual visit to Marfa for the Marfa Lights Festival. My Lady friend represents the Jumano Indian Nation Of Texas. It's a cool little town. Your tour of Marfa is making me want to go back. Thank you for sharing.
Always a very interesting video I believe that was a Thunderbird Marty was looking at wasn't it I hope you guys are staying warm sure do love them videos Sally and Marty stay healthy stay happy stay safe 🏆🌺👍✌️
Thanks Duane! Not sure, he didn’t tell me what was so great about that car. But we drove past it a few times so he could drool over it lol 😂
Roadrunner
I researched and it is a 69 Charger. Could be a '70
Got to watch out for those traffic jams downtown Marfa, g... I love there West Texas area around Marfa and the surrounding area. Thanks for sharing video ...
Sally and Marty your awesome
Great video!!!!
Old friend of mine, Ray Hegy lived in Marfa and would fly his Experimantal 'El Chuporosa' biplane up to OKC to visit. He hand made airplane props of his own design that are known world around... Next time in Marfa ask around about Ray... He is a story in himself.
Great Video! I see a Road Trip in my future!!!
Love your channel and I sure enjoyed this video. I stopped in Marfa and ate at The Food Shark on my way back from Big Bend. A little food truck parked under a big pavilion by the railroad tracks. Good lunch for sure.
I think that's an old Dodge Charger that Marty had a thing for. Or Plymouth Duster. Hard to tell at that distance.
I've been to Marfa a few times - mainly to see the lights. I loved how quiet it was - even for such a long drive in.
Nice production
I’m really glad Mardy is on the payroll…
Lol so am I
@@SightseeingSally I think Mardy would like to buy a clunker..if he does that could be the full Mardy show…
Totally radical video.
Did ya’ll go to ft Davis and McDonald’ observatory?
Great video ! I saw a movie once filmed in Marfa and it really showed a very different Marfa. I live in NRH north of Texas in the Fort Worth area and I will travel to see Marfa for sure.
Thanks for the trip!
You will be disappointed big time. Go to Times Square in NYC to see where the "inhabitants of Maria came from.
Ow my! I’m glad I came across your channel..my great grandma and my grandparents lived down the street frm that White Castle! It was once a Fort used to house German prisoners bck in WW1. Marfa has changed so much from when I wld go bck in the 80’s-early 90’! I learned how my grandma fought the system and took her case to the Supreme Court for my then Aunt to be able to attend the “white school” across town and she won. My dad grew up during segregation bck in the 60s. Wow!!! This was way before all these “artists” frm up north came there.
Thanks!
Thanks Gregory! And you’re very welcome 😊
Lived in Ft. Davis Texas for some years which is just a few miles from Marfa. Its a cool little town for tourists.
The Scotus sculls were kind of spooky considering how close that place is to Cibolo Creek Ranch where Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died.
I am surprised you didn't mention Marfa Public Radio while you were there. Much beloved by the artsy hipster crowd, MPR has become a network within the network. There are four stations, including one in Alpine, where you guys recently were. KRTS is the flagship station, and they get big stars like John Lithgow and Gore Vidal to come out to little Marfa to be interviewed. I really liked this piece. Hearing about the Chinati Foundation makes some of the weirdness that is Marfa make sense. It was worth the wardrobe changes. 👍👏👏👏
And the blueberry pancakes in my teeth 🤭🤣
I moved to the Tri-County area in 2000 and things were very different then, they were not discovered by the rich fly-in weekenders yet. The average house was less than 100.00 sq ft and land was around 500.00 an acre. Then it was discovered and everything went to hell in a hurry. Property and land got so expensive that the average working man could no longer afford to settle there. The weekenders helped only the hotels and a couple of restruants. It made things difficult for the people living there. I lived in that little ghost town 39 miles west called Valentine, population 120, site of the Prada art installation. I lived there 20 years and would still be there if my health and my Son would allow it. The population density of the Tri-County area is 1 person per mile which was great for an old hermit like me.
Sally another enjoyable video, I grew up around San Angelo but always wanted to tour out west. Now living in WASHINGTON state but hope to before I leave this world.
I was fortunate enough to witness the Marfa Lights in 1992 and they were extremely active that night. I sat at the local General Store/bar in Alpine listening to many stories from the locals about the lights. I did find it rather interesting to see a random Prada store in the middle of nowhere on the way to the Marfa lights observation site.
One short story was the lights would mimick a runway that forced the moving of a near by military base because planes were crashing in the desert.
Been there loved it
i was hitch-hiking to california back in 1970. we stopped in marfa for a few minutes and all i can remember was it was
dry, dusty and dismal. that was my only time there and i never wanted to go back.
Giant is a fabulous movie!
I was hoping you would show the murals painted by, "Stylle Read" of Cleburne (or Keene), Tx.. I'm not sure if he did the ones of the "Giant" billboards.
Enjoyed this video. So much to learn in any town or community all around the world.
Lived in Texas my whole life and been to that part of Texas twice and never heard or considered Marfa as a ghost town.
An absolute hell hole, but quite enchanting
Folks go to Marfa for the “Ghost Lights”. They need a place to stay and eat - they don’t stay long but the lights don’t show up on command so the tourist have to come back often lol. The artist are just there because of the tourist coming to see the “ghost lights”
they have those fake Prada shops in Death valley as well , but they're out in the middle of nowhere
I'm pretty much obsessed with these lights. I even read a book by a guy who studied them for a year (?). He had no answer/explanation to what they were. The lights are around private property, so I guess that impedes anyone's attempt at "getting a closer look". I'm thinking the mirage theory has some merit. It seems when approached they disappear? That sounds like the definition of a mirage. I also wonder what the significance of night time has: They can only be seen when it's dark?
This almost reminds me of the "phenomenon" of the "moving rocks" of Death Valley, although "they" finally figured that one out. In other words, I was obsessed with that phenomena until they revealed the "secret".
Giant was a great movie! I’ve seen it twice.
I finally watched it. Yes, it was!
I have been to Marfa. Only once, but was there!
Marfa was a WW2 pilot training air field. I have flown in and out of there while stationed in the Army at Ft. Bliss by helicopter.
Giant was a very good movie! If you get the chance it’s worthwhile watching!
I love Marfa!!!!
I know it’s a long shot, but the Judd family is a huge name in Hawaii because of the history in the 1800s. The Judds made a name for themselves during the 1800s, the family got into the good graces of the Hawaiian monarchy, married into the Hawaiian culture, gained so much power and wealth in Hawaii by becoming lawyers, politicians, etc. My Hawaiian family back then was even subjected to their court decisions. Anyway, it’s interesting how some family names might be connected.
It’s such a cool place.
Whoa, saw a Crosley wagon!
I’m from Texas and to get the most mileage from a trip to Marta, you should check it out in the evening to see the Marta lights. I’ve seen them twice and they are spectacular. If you want to see a Ghost town, you’ll want to head over to Terilingua
Love Maria!
Awesome! Who is Maria?
Nice find ! Giant , a good movie ! Liz Taylor , all shook up over James Dean!
Shook up alot of actors & fans ! Remember !
Nice town , sally !
Thanks Glenn! I agree, Marfa is a nice little town full of oddities, mystery, and intrigue.
fun stuff
I loved Marfa. ❤
i heard some where that Donald Judd chose Marfa because it was the 'farthest' town from any other town in the USA.
If that’s the case, he picked the right town!
Did you know that there is a resident in Marfa that has hit the 1 million dollar loto two time!!!
Another great video and find!
Palace use to be a movie theater in the 50's
Beautiful ♥️ Texas enjoying fr jamaica 🇯🇲🌞🏖️😎
If you have not seen the movie Giant, you should purchase a DVD copy of it. The movie is produced from the book Giant by Edna Ferber, and ranks alongside other eternal blockbusters as, Gone with the Wind and The Ten Commandments.
It was filmed in 1955 and was released in 1956, with enough advanced technology that it is definitely not archaic in it's quality of presentation..
Along with others in that category, it has been digitally remastered to bring back the full clarity as close to today's digital videos as possible.
Very interesting town. I think I recognize that fat guy in your back seat when you were in Bombay Beach. Good times
Hahaha we’re hoping for more good times like that in the future
I enjoyed it great job.
Not a single Marfanian in the video
They're not really a ghost town. They had a population of 1,750 in the 2022 census
Yes, we came to the same conclusion
@@SightseeingSally Marty get any old signs?